Why We Are In Knots

We, the natural-haired women, do not like knots and tangles. In fact, we wage war against them on wash day or every time we find one. The pre-poo was developed primarily for this reason, was it not? Also, the fact that detanglers (products) feature dominantly in our hair care routines speaks volume on how much attention is required to rid our hair of this menace.

No, we do not like knots & tangles.

But knots & tangles love our textured hair. They show themselves if our natural hair gets too dry, when we wear protective styles for an extended period of time, wearing wash & go’s, when we get wind in our hair, if we sleep without hair cover, when we shampoo, just simply getting our hair wet. In order words, they await us around every corner.

Shrinkage. Ugh.

In Curly Hair Land, shrinkage gets a bad rap for the wrong reason. We, natural-haired women, are so focused on seeing length that we curse the shrinkage factor that comes with natural hair. After all, shrinkage belies our ‘true’ length and this creates the kind of frustration that not even the perfect wash & go results can abate.

Curl∼ism

‡ Walk, Don’t Run

Curls love water, from a shower-head, a spray bottle but not from a torrential downpour…in the Caribbean. Although it is well understood that water is the ultimate moisturiser for curls, rain remains a threat to natural-haired women (er, all women) because it ‘ruins’ hairstyles; moreover, because frizz reigns supreme on a wet day, some re-work may be required to recover one’s curls.

Porosity type trumps curl type as the most effective way of developing an appropriate regimen for your natural hair ‡

Testing your hair’s porosity is simple and serves to tell you how porous your hair strands are. Why is this important? Knowing your hair’s porosity can save you time and money by enabling you to choose appropriate products and regimen for your natural hair.

Shea Butter: friend or foe? ‡

Shea Butter has become a major star in natural hair care and has found its way into the hearts (and hair) of many natural-haired women. Whether you use shea butter in its raw form or products containing shea butter, there’s no doubt that there’s magic to be found.

Porosity is the hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture; it tells a story of how quickly or slowly moisture enters and leaves the hair’s strands. Understanding porosity can be immensely helpful in choosing hair care products &/or developing a regimen for achieving your best hair results ‡

This vs That of Natural Hair Care ‡

A slick and large-molecule oil, Broccoli seed oil is ideal for medium to thick strands (a little goes a long way). A natural oil which possess a noticeable and pungent smell, Broccoli seed oil has been largely ignored for at-home use on its own but can now be found in many leave-in conditioners due to its ability to add shine and fight frizz. It also performs as an effective sealant – similar to man-made silicones – but one that doesn’t require a harsh sulfate shampoo to remove from it the hair.

I have not used a ‘rinse-out’ conditioner for ages, nor have I used a dedicated product for de-tangling my curly-kinky hair. I’ve thought about why this is and have come to a few conclusions based on my own experiences. Read on.

Few things persist like the perceptions and convictions of natural-haired women about natural hair. Here are some subject matters on which natural-haired women agree to disagree: Continue reading “A Natural Hair Quarrel”→